Please send your decorating questions with images to michaelpenney8@gmail.com and I’ll do my best! For rates and consultations, drop me a line at michaelpenney8@gmail.com.

Nickola and her family have lived in their home for a year and a half and have the basics of their living room and dining room figured out. But Nickola calls the room, “BORING, BORING, BORING”. With young kids, they’re not ready to invest in a commitment sofa, so they’d like to freshen things up using what they have for now. Take a look at their space.

Well first I’m going to suggest something scary – striped wallpaper. You could certainly paint, but if you want to add richness, depth, and sophistication, wallpaper is a great option. It makes a room feel finished, detailed, and unique in a way paint alone just can’t do.

This wallpaper is from Thibaut. It’s a fresh celery green with hints of melon and raspberry and combines preppy crispness and boldness all in one. Imagine all of the walls wrapped in this substantial pattern and the crisp white trim and fireplace mantle against it. The cream drapes will look great with this paper and Nickola is already thinking about hemming and trimming them with brown ribbon. This will be a perfect start.

Next, I’d layer up the sofa with a combination of textured neutrals like this cushion Crate & Barrel and…

Nickola says she hates the pendant in the dining area, so I’d suggest a traditional chandelier. You can find something one of a kind and vintage, or go for something new like this example from Circa Lighting.

It would be great to mix things up with a side table that has some personality. A great inspiration is this inlaid table from 1stdibs.

Then keep it simple and classic with a fresh white coffee table like this from Pier 1. It would look great loaded up with interesting books, objects and a woven tray.

Nickola is wondering about what to do in the left over space under the living room window and I would suggest a pair of smaller scaled chairs. They’ll add extra seating for larger gatherings and parties, and will fill that area nicely. It really doesn’t matter that they’re not pulled up close to the main sofa cluster – they act as a secondary seating group and keep the room flexible. For affordable seating, head over to Ikea where many chairs come with slip covers to help out with kids and their mess.

And for some really interesting display, why not collect vintage jars and bottles and line the mantle with terrariums like these gorgeous examples from Pottery Barn? They’ll take down the formality and geometry of the wallpaper a notch and add some organic looseness.